David Walliams let go by publisher after reported inappropriate behaviour claims

David Walliams has been dropped by his publisher, reportedly following allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women.

The Little Britain star and one of the UK’s best-selling children’s authors is said to have been at the centre of allegations that he harassed female employees at HarperCollins, his publisher, following a year-long investigation by The Telegraph.

One woman who reportedly raised concerns allegedly received a five-figure settlement from the publisher and later left the company.

A HarperCollins spokesperson said in a statement on Friday: “After careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new CEO, HarperCollins UK has decided not to publish any new titles by David Walliams. The author is aware of this decision.”

They added: “HarperCollins takes employee wellbeing extremely seriously and has processes in place for reporting and investigating concerns. To respect the privacy of individuals we do not comment on internal matters.”

Walliams has written books including The Boy In The Dress, Fing, and Gangsta Granny, the latter of which was turned into a one-hour BBC special in 2013, followed by a sequel starring Sheridan Smith in 2022.

The TV star was a judge on Britain’s Got Talent, but left the role in 2022 after he apologised for making “disrespectful comments” about auditioning contestants during filming breaks in January 2020 at the London Palladium.

In 2023, Britain’s Got Talent producer Fremantle apologised and reached an “amicable resolution” with Walliams after the remarks he made while on the show were leaked.

Walliams, who appeared on the ITV talent show between 2012 and 2022, was suing the company for misuse of private information and for breaching the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UKGDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

The comedian, actor and presenter was made an OBE in 2017 for services to the arts and charity, having raised £2m for Sport Relief by completing a 140-mile swim down the River Thames.

Earlier in the year, it was reported that he had made Nazi salutes during recording of BBC panel show Would I Lie To You?.

ITV News has contacted Walliams’ agent for comment.